Sunday, April 1, 2012

From the Archives: The Racing News...

I am going to take a little detour from the more usual photo from the archives feature. Instead, this month I highlight a bit of printed material. I have mentioned the Racing News in one post or another in the past, but never for its own sake. There was a time when, if you raced in and around Southern California, you had to subscribe, or at least pick up a copy at the local races, the Racing News. They were published monthly, or bi-monthly and listed upcoming races, posted results of past ones, included columns on issues related to racing, etc.

Read it in Good Health

Per the publication page: The Racing News is the publication of the Racing News Association (RNA), a co-op group, who have banded together to publish race announcements, results, and general information for the betterment of bicycle racing and cycling in general. The earliest issue I have (1991) was, I believe edited by Stan Solin, whose Sprocket To Me column was a regular feature. Later the job of editor was filled by Rudy Fernandez, and circulation was by his company, Rudy Products (though still published by the RNA).

Sprocket To Me, by Stan Solin

$10,000 in 1991 - pretty good prize money

For a while I kept every one that had come my way, but eventually realized that the space they were taking up was unacceptable, and tossed most of them out. I egotistically kept a few - those that had my name in them. This turns out to have been an unfortunate act of negligence. Since starting this blog I have come to realize that those old issues contain a wealth of information about the local racing scene, much of which cannot be found anywhere else, except perhaps in peoples heads. Who won what, and where; that sort of thing. So if you still have any tucked away somewhere, hang on to them, they are good stuff. And if you ever decide to get rid of them, I know a good home where they will be welcome.

Cat 4 glory days

Just going to attach a little rider to this post. Yet again, my hard drive has gone under - the second one in the past six months, or something like that. *&%$D@!!!! Posts may be spotty for a while, I have a couple saved up so I can quick post, and I have the wife's computer when it is free. I should probably get a new computer, the old one seems to have become more than a bit of a lemon, but money is tight, so I will have to figure it all out - soon. On the positive side, we had a great ride out this way today - the Competitive Edge Cyclery held a Fools Ride in conjunction with the opening of their new story in Rancho Cucamonga (the older one in Upland is still there), and it was well attended. It was a 45 mile, sometime hammerfest, sometime social ride, most definitely fun either way ride. Only a handful of people dressed as fools (when I didn't see anyone in drag or other costume I chickened out on wearing my 4-foot beard). I did take a few photos, but they will have to wait until the computer problems are resolved. Big thanks to the shop for hosting, not only the ride, but a bbq and raffle afterward. Even though Competitive Edge has never been by primary local bike shop (plbs) I have been a periodic, sometimes more, customer of theirs going back to the early 1990s when I, believe it or not, lived all the way out in Burbank. I even raced with a team sponsored by them one year. If you live near either location, check 'em out.